Mix-ready sounds tailored for dark, warm and organic-sounding hard rock and metal.
This EZX features mix-ready sounds tailored for dark, warm and organic-sounding hard rock and metal. It was designed to offer a polarizing sound ideal compared to its sibling, the Duality II EZX. Both EZXs were recorded by engineer Jakob Herrmann (Evergrey, Raised Fist, Amaranthe) and drummer Alex Landenburg (Kamelot, Cyhra, Mekong Delta) during the same session at Top Floor Studios in Gothenburg, Sweden. Duality I EZX includes one full kit as well as a total of six bass drums, eight snares and a staggering range of cymbals.
In addition to the sounds, this EZX also includes a custom MIDI library as well as a collection of presets engineered to provide different takes on the core kit along with creative hybrids constructed using the large pool of additional kicks, snares and cymbal content.
When two objects – worlds, stars, planets, waves, storms – collide, they either form a clash of epic proportions decimating almost any and all things in its way, or they meld and mesh into an an awe-inspiring coherent force of energy. The Duality EZXs are an example of the latter. Welcome to two contrasting batteries of drums that balance on the divide between polarizing sonic ideals – each great on its own, but awesome together.
Two EZXs. Equal, but worlds apart.
Two kits, twelve (12) bass drums, sixteen (16) snares, four (4) rides, four (4) hi-hats and 26 crash/china/stack/splash cymbals distributed equally over two separate EZXs. Let your drum journey begin.
LEARN MOREName: Alex Landenburg
Location: Saarbrücken, Germany
Mastering anything from ferocious thrash beats and insane double bass cannonry to the most fundamental and rock solid grooves, Alex Landenburg is the definition of a versatile metal drummer. If he’s not doing clinics or otherwise traveling the world in the service of groove, you’ll find him on the drum riser or in the studio with bands like Mekong Delta, Cyhra and Kamelot.
If we start by rewinding to the very beginning: How and when did you discover your passion for music?
I grew up in a very musical household, in the sense that there was always music playing and that in my family, we often talked about artists and specific music. My parents listened to a huge variety of styles, including lots of ’70s prog like Genesis, but also Queen, Elvis or the Beatles. I still remember the 1985 Live Aid as a very little kid. Seeing Queen on that stage, in front of all these people, I knew that’s what I wanted to do, too.
What are some of the drummers that you think helped shape the musician you are today?
I could list a hundred names here. Phil Collins was a big one for me, but growing up as a real metal kid, it was also the usual suspects: Lars Ulrich, Nicko McBrain, Nick Menza, etc. Then at about age 15, I really got into progressive metal. Mike Portnoy and Mark Zonder were super important. Also Deen Castronovo, Simon Phillips, Jeff Porcaro, Terry Bozzio and Steve Smith were extremely important to my development, but the biggest impact probably had and still has Vinnie Colaiuta.
Your history with different bands range from thrash and power to modern metal. Is there one style in which you feel at most “home”?
Actually, I feel really at home in progressive metal. I always try to give everything I play a bit of a proggy edge, of course always making sure it’s still musical and supporting the song.
How would you describe your style of drumming?
My goal is to merge technicality and interesting drumming with musicality while always supporting the music and the song. Like a sculptor, I want to carve out the structure of a piece of music and make it clearer and more impactful. The question if I always manage to meet that goal, however, is for others to answer!
You have been doing this for quite some time now. If you had to pick out some highlights so far in you career, what would the they be?
My first real big tour with Annihilator, following the footsteps of none other than Mike Mangini at the time, was an amazing experience. Also playing with Stratovarius, alongside Jens Johansson of Yngwie Malmsteen fame, was simply incredible. Another real highlight was recording the most recent live DVD with Kamelot in 2018. Also working with Luca Turilli and co-producing the “Cinematic and Live” album was something I will carry with me forever. A different sort of highlight was my 2019 clinic tour in China for Mapex. Meeting all these young Chinese drummers and seeing the excitement in them was truly amazing.
If you weren’t a professional musician, what do you think you’d do for a career?
I would have been a pro tennis player. At least that’s what I’m telling myself.
Looking back on the experience of sampling these EZX libraries, what are your biggest takeaways?
It was such a big learning experience. On any prior project I was involved in, we always took the sound aspects like tuning the drums, the right choice of heads and mic positioning very seriously, but on these recordings, we went so much further with these details. And it really shows. The sounds we recorded are nothing short of amazing. Also, sampling all these instruments at all these velocities gave me another perspective as to how many different sounds you can actually get out of a ride cymbal or a pair of hi-hats. Many things I used to do subconsciously I now had to really figure out, because they had to be reproduced consistently. I’ve learned so much about the instrument again. It was a great experience.
And listening back to the final product – what was that like and did everything turn out like you had initially envisioned?
It was very emotional. I will never forget when I heard the first audio samples of our work. Some of the cymbals we sampled for this product were from my first batch of Zildjians I received when I originally got the endorsement, which were pre-selected from the factory and then hand-selected by me. That was one of the best days of my life and now these supreme cymbals are immortalized and that’s just beautiful. On top of that, we also sampled my number one “go to” snare, the Mapex Sledgehammer, and it turned out better than I ever could have imagined. It goes for all the other instruments we recorded as well. They all sounded great and Jakob and I were able to capture these sounds 100%. Finally, now to be able to play these instruments also with my electronic drums, is just a dream come true.
*All other manufacturers’ product names are trademarks of their respective owners, which are in no way associated or affiliated with Toontrack. See full notice here.
Brand: Pearl
Model: Masterworks
Material: Maple/Birch/Carbon fiber
Finish: Chrome Plated Carbon
Year: 2009
Kick
Brand: Pearl
Model: Masterworks
Material: Maple/birch/carbon fiber
Finish: Chrome Plated Carbon
Year/era: 2009
Size: 15×24
Batter head: Remo Emperor Clear
Resonance head: Remo Powerstroke 3 Fiberskyn
Snare
Brand: Pearl
Model: Free Floating
Material: Copper
Finish: Copper
Size: 6.5×14″
Batter head: Remo Controlled Sound
Resonance head: Remo Ambassador Hazy
Rack tom 1
Size: 9×12″ (high tuned)
Batter head: Remo Ambassador Clear
Resonance head: Remo Ambassador Clear
Rack tom 2
Size: 9×12″
Batter head: Remo Ambassador Clear
Resonance head: Remo Ambassador Clear
Rack tom 3
Size: 10×14″
Batter head: Remo Ambassador Clear
Resonance head: Remo Ambassador Clear
Floor tom 1
Size: 15×16″
Batter head: Remo Ambassador Clear
Resonance head: Remo Ambassador Clear
Floor tom 2
Size: 15×18″
Batter head: Remo Ambassador Clear
Resonance head: Remo Ambassador Clear
Hi-hat
Brand: Sabian
Model: Paragon
Size: 15″
Ride
Brand: Sabian
Model: HHX Complex Medium Ride
Size: 23″
Crash 1
Brand: Sabian
Model: HHX Complex Thin Crash
Size: 18″
Crash 2
Brand: Sabian
Model: HHX Complex Thin Crash
Size: 19″
Crash 3
Brand: Sabian
Model: HHX Complex Thin Crash
Size: 20″
China 1
Brand: Sabian
Model: Holy China – Chad Smith Signature
Size: 19″
China 2
Brand: Sabian
Model: Paragon
Size: 19″
Splash 1
Brand: Sabian
Model: Max Splash – Mike Portnoy Signature
Size: 9″
Splash 2
Brand: Sabian
Model: Max Splash – Mike Portnoy Signature
Size: 11″
Stack 1
Brand: Sabian
Model: Max Splash – Mike Portnoy Signature / Manhattan Groove Hat
Size: 9″ / 11″
Stack 2
Brand: Sabian
Model: Manhattan Groove Hat / Hand Hammered Chinese
Size: 11″ / 18″
*All other manufacturers’ product names are trademarks of their respective owners, which are in no way associated or affiliated with Toontrack. See full notice here.
*All other manufacturers’ product names are trademarks of their respective owners, which are in no way associated or affiliated with Toontrack. See full notice here.
Additional kicks
Brand: Pearl
Model: Crystal Beat
Material: Acrolite
Finish: Ultra Clear
Size: 16×22″
Batter head: Powerstroke P3 Clear Black Dot
Resonance head: Remo Emperor Clear
Brand: Premier
Model: Artist Maple
Material: Maple
Finish: White Marine Pearl
Size: 16×26″
Batter head: Evans Level 360
Resonance head: Original
Treatment: Recorded with snare wires off
Brand: Pearl
Model: Masterworks
Material: Birch
Finish: Beubinga Burl
Size: 18×22″
Batter head: Evans Level 360
Resonance head: Remo Emperor Clear
Brand: Ludwig
Model: ‘60s
Material: Mahogany/poplar/mahogany
Finish: White Marine Pearl
Size: 14×20″
Batter head: Remo Weatherking Coated Ambassador Bass
Resonance head: Original
Brand: Gretsch
Model: USA Custom
Material: Maple/gum
Finish: Silver Mist
Size: 16×24″
Batter head: Gretsch Permatone
Resonance head: Remo Emperor Coated
Additional snares
Brand: DW
Model: Steel
Material: Steel
Finish: Silver
Size: 5.5×14″
Batter head: Remo CS Coated
Resonance head: Remo Ambassador Hazy Snare Side
Brand: DW
Model: Collectors
Material: Bamboo
Finish: Natural
Size: 5.5×14″
Batter head: Remo CS Coated
Resonance head: Remo Ambassador Hazy Snare Side
Brand: Mapex
Model: Black Panther Sledgehammer
Material: Maple Walnut
Finish: Flat Black Maple Burl
Size: 6.5×14″
Batter head: Remo Ambassador Coated
Resonance head: Remo Ambassador Hazy Snare Side
Brand: Mapex
Model: Black Panther Black Widow
Material: Maple
Finish: Brushed Nickel
Size: 5×14″
Batter head: Remo CS Coated
Resonance head: Remo Ambassador Hazy Snare Side
Brand: Pearl
Model: Free Floating
Material: Maple/mahogany
Finish: Natural
Size: 6.5×14″
Batter head: Remo CS Coated
Resonance head: Remo Ambassador Hazy Snare Side
Brand: Beat Head
Model: Custom
Material: Kapur
Finish: Natural
Size: 6.5×14″
Batter head: Remo CS Coated
Resonance head: Remo Ambassador Hazy Snare Side
Brand: Pearl
Model: MX
Material: Maple
Finish: Natural
Size: 8×14″
Batter head: Remo CS Coated
Resonance head: Remo Ambassador Hazy Snare Side
Additional toms
Brand: Pearl
Model: Masterworks
Material: Birch/carbon fiber
Size: 15×16″
Batter head: Remo Ambassador Clear
Resonance head: Remo Ambassador Clear
Tuning/treatment: Low tuned
Brand: Pearl
Model: Masterworks
Material: Birch/carbon fiber
Size: 15×18″
Batter head: Remo Ambassador Clear
Resonance head: Remo Ambassador Clear
Tuning/treatment: Low tuned
*All other manufacturers’ product names are trademarks of their respective owners, which are in no way associated or affiliated with Toontrack. See full notice here.
*All other manufacturers’ product names are trademarks of their respective owners, which are in no way associated or affiliated with Toontrack. See full notice here.
Additional hi-hat
Brand: Sabian
Model: AAX X-Plosion
Size: 14″
Additional ride
Brand: Sabian
Model: AAX Bell Dry Ride
Size: 22″
Additional crashes
Brand: Sabian
Model: AAX X-Plosion Crash
Size: 18″
Brand: Sabian
Model: AAX X-Plosion Crash
Size: 19″
Brand: Sabian
Model: AAX X-Plosion Crash
Size: 20″
Additional stacks
Brand: Sabian
Model: Manhattan Groove Hat / Paragon China
Size: 11″ / 19″
*All other manufacturers’ product names are trademarks of their respective owners, which are in no way associated or affiliated with Toontrack. See full notice here.
The included library of presets was engineered to provide different takes on the core kit as well as several creative hybrids constructed using the large pool of additional kicks, snares and cymbal content. The preset collection includes content created by both Jakob Herrmann as well as by the Toontrack sound design team.
The Duality I EZX MIDI library was performed by sampling drummer Alex Landerburg and features custom material tailored for the specific sound ideal of this EZX. In turn, the Duality II EZX comes with a contrasting content, offering grooves and fills that in many ways are the polar opposites of its sibling’s. For this volume, expect a battery of foundational grooves – perfect for any bright, metallic and progressive-sounding hard rock or metal track.
5 GB free disk space, 4 GB RAM (8 GB or more recommended).
A working EZdrummer 2.2.2 (or above) or a Superior Drummer 3.2.6 (or above) installation.